UCLA Quarterback Chase Griffin Launches 919 Players NIL Fund

UCLA's Chase Griffin launches 1919 Players Fund to empower athletes with NIL opportunities and boost program success.

Dec 19, 2020; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Chase Griffin (11) runs the ball during overtime against the Stanford Cardinal at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Chase Griffin, backup quarterback for the UCLA Bruins, continues to make waves in the name, image, and likeness (NIL) landscape. Griffin, already a two-time NIL Athlete of the Year, has consistently championed the rights and opportunities available to student-athletes in this new landscape. On September 5, he took a monumental step by launching the 1919 Players Fund during a networking event at the W Hotel near UCLA's campus.

This initiative is poised to enhance the financial prospects of UCLA football players personally while bolstering the program's competitiveness within the highly competitive Big Ten Conference.

The 1919 Players Fund is built around several core objectives. Foremost among them is the goal of assisting players in developing their personal brands. Griffin envisions this initiative as a pathway for athletes to become effective ambassadors for various products and services.

Griffin shared with the LA Times, “I see us almost as a talent agency where we develop UCLA football players, and we give them the means of creating content that creates returns on investment with the brands that we work with.”

Griffin has already forged early partnerships with organizations such as SteelPeak Wealth, the Westwood Village Improvement Association, and Movember, focusing on men's health awareness. By leveraging his extensive network, Griffin seeks to create mutually beneficial relationships that amplify the fund's impact.

Community engagement is another cornerstone of Griffin's vision. He encourages fans and supporters to actively participate in the fund's mission, believing that everyone in the UCLA community has a role in supporting the athletes and the program.

"This is a collective effort," Griffin noted, emphasizing the importance of unity in achieving their goals.

Ultimately, Griffin's ambition is to position UCLA football as a leading program in the Big Ten. He asserts that UCLA's historical excellence and status as the top public school in the nation should translate into success in NIL endeavors.

The 1919 Players Fund represents a significant advancement for UCLA football, aiming to empower athletes, enhance their financial futures, and cultivate a culture of philanthropy.

“We’re not in a conference where we’re lucky to be there,” Griffin said, “we’re in a conference where they’re lucky to have us, and in order for us to compete in the way that we need to compete to make that statement ring true and to represent UCLA the way it ought to be represented, we have to make sure that we have programs in place like the 1919 Players Fund there to make sure that UCLA has a chance.”